I spent months researching, drafting and looking at my teams like they were adorned on a wall at the Louvre. It became too much. I needed the season to start so I could see the numbers advance in each statistical category, like the speedometer on a long trip. And a long season it will be, but the start is always exhilarating, especially when we get the return of …
Oh, how I missed you, Roundball Rock.
We also saw the return of Victor Wembanyama, who played only 46 games last season due to deep vein thrombosis. He descended from the Mount of Shaolin with tablets of knowledge from Hakeem Olajuwon and O.M.G. — 40 points, 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal, three blocks and one trey without a turnover while shooting 71% from the field and 81% from the line. He crossed over perimeter defenders, then stepped back for treys. He danced and pranced in the post, making the opposition look like lamp posts. Now I know how the first person to see the El Dorado felt. Now I know how the first person to create fire felt. But now I worry what those squads in the other galaxies must be like. Would we be 1992 Angola?
Here is what else I saw through the first two days of the 2025-26 NBA season:
Tuesday night
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
The Houston Rockets did employ their super-sized lineup: Amen Thompson (6-foot-7), Kevin Durant (6-foot-11), Jabari Smith (6-foot-11), Alperen Sengun (6-foot-11) and Steven Adams (6-foot-11). The game went to double overtime, but Adams played 37 minutes. The Oklahoma City Thunder play big with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, so this may have been a matchup-based thing, but it’s likely a lineup Ime Udoka employs often.
Alperen Sengun had a monster game with 39 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. He went 5-of-8 from downtown and 10-of-11 from the line. Sengun averaged 0.3 treys a game last season, so this is a huge development, as is the free-throw shooting. He entered the season as a career 70% shooter from the line.
Reed Sheppard played 28 minutes off the bench. He struggled shooting, converting only 3-of-11 from the field, but the Thunder are one of the best defensive teams in the league, and the atmosphere was intense and electric — tough for even the most grizzled of veterans. That said, the defense could be an issue. Sheppard was hunted and could not hold up physically.
Cason Wallace got the start for an injured Jalen Williams and played 42 minutes, producing 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and three treys. Wallace averaged 27.6 minutes per game last season and will still be a vital part of the rotation when Williams returns to action.
Second-year player Ajay Mitchell received 15 minutes off the bench and produced 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block. He showed that the excellent play during Summer League was no fluke.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
Jonathan Kuminga got the start and played 33 minutes, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and four treys. Kuminga is 23 years old and has fashioned himself as a future alpha, but Steve Kerr knows this team revolves around Stephen Curry, which has likely contributed to some friction in the past. After Tuesday’s game, Kerr was happy with how Kuminga did the little things, but this quote illuminates everything: “The thing we’re still trying to work with him on, that I think he improved in the second half, was understanding the power of Steph, go and set a screen for him and slip to the rim. That’s the hardest thing for players to do when they get here is to understand how to play with Steph and to utilize his gravity, his force to open up other opportunities to score, whether for yourself or someone else.”
Al Horford only played 20 minutes off the bench, as Draymond Green got the start at center. Horford isn’t playing back-to-backs and Steve Kerr said he will be limited to 20 mpg. Not sure if that is for the entire season, but we deal with what is right now.
Will Richard played 14 minutes off the bench. He’s 6-foot-4, 206 pounds and was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2025 draft. The Warriors traded for him, then signed him to a four-year, $8.6 million contract after he performed well over the summer. Kerr loves his IQ and knack for making the right play. He’s not standard-league worthy, but definitely someone for deeper leagues.
Wednesday night
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
Evan Mobley was uber-aggressive en route to 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block and four treys. The usage rate was 28.5%. It was 23.2% last season and 20.8% before that.
Jaylon Tyson got the start for Darius Garland but only played 20 minutes.
Lonzo Ball played 23 minutes off the bench and shot only 1-of-7 from the field, but he racked up four rebounds and six assists. He looked healthy and was elevating well for rebounds. The Cavaliers will be careful managing the playing time early in the season, but I have no doubt he will still dish out plenty of dimes.
The Mike Brown era began well in Game 1 for New York. The Knicks scored 119 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown went 11 players deep, with 10 playing over 10 minutes. Ariel Hukporti got the start for Mitchell Robinson and played 18 minutes. The big surprise is that OG Anunoby was second on the team with 17 shots, and the usage rate was 25.1%. In the prior two seasons with the Knicks, Anunoby’s usage rate was 19.6% and 17.6%. He finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block and four treys.
Brooklyn Nets at Charlotte Hornets
The center situation in Charlotte was confusing all offseason. We got some clarity in Game 1, as Ryan Kalkbrenner started and played 27 minutes, producing 10 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Moussa Diabate played 21 minutes off the bench and finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block, while Mason Plumlee was a DNP. That’s good because Kalkbrenner and Diabate are viable for fantasy with Plumlee out of the picture.
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
Nikola Jovic got the start and played 23 minutes, but his defense was poor. That could limit his playing time going forward.
Kel’el Ware only played 14 minutes off the bench. Eric Spoelstra was on him all summer, and it looks like Ware is still in the doghouse.
Davion Mitchell was magnifique, contributing 16 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, one block and two treys in 35 minutes. He played well at last season’s end and earned street cred with Spoelstra. Mitchell is a dawg on defense and can get his own shot while being a playmaker for others.
Orlando had a vision in the offseason (shoot more and play faster), and the results went well in the opener. Prized free-agent acquisition Desmond Bane led the team with 18 field goal attempts and put up 23 points. Orlando shot 12-of-30 from downtown and is currently tied for second in offensive pace after one game.
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is tied for the fastest offensive pace after one game. Yippee! The defensive rating is fifth-worst, though, as they lost to Toronto by 20 points. Ooof. It’s only one game, though. Let’s see how things shake out. Jalen Johnson led the team with eight assists, while Trae Young could only muster five.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
Dominick Barlow got the start for Paul George, and he played well with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and one steal in 34 minutes. Barlow impressed over the summer, and his energy has endeared him to the coaching staff and teammates.
VJ Edgecombe had quite the debut with 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in 42 minutes. Edgecombe is one of the best athletes in the league, and he replicated his performances while with the Bahamas national team, which was littered with NBA players. He’s good.
For the new-look Celtics, Sam Hauser started, but he only played 22 minutes. Neemias Queta was the starting center and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. Derrick White led the team with 20 field goal attempts. Josh Minott played 14 minutes off the bench. I’m intrigued by his athleticism and energy. Chris Boucher only played 16 minutes off the bench.
Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls
With Jaden Ivey out, Duncan Robinson started for Detroit. He played 32 minutes but only scored 2 points with no other contributions. Isaiah Stewart was great off the bench, putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, four blocks and two treys in 25 minutes. Ron Holland had 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and one trey in 27 minutes off the bench. Caris LeVert had 8 points, one rebound, two assists, one steal and one trey in 21 minutes off the bench. Holland is the most enticing option due to his athleticism and defense, but the shot is still a concern.
Tre Jones got the start for the Bulls and produced 12 points, one rebound, eight assists, three steals and one trey in 32 minutes. He played well last season alongside Josh Giddey, and that trend continued on Wednesday. He’s a must-add as long as he’s starting and getting over 30 mpg.
New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies
The center rotation in New Orleans played out as such: Yves Missi got the start and played 23 minutes. Derik Queen returned from injury and played 15 minutes, while Zion Williamson played 27% of his minutes at center. Kevon Looney is out for a few weeks. He will muddy this up when he returns.
Saddiq Bey led the bench unit with 30 minutes. He only shot 5-of-12 from the field, but he’s gone for at least 30 points eight times in his career. His career high is 51.
Jeremiah Fears shot an impressive 7-of-10 from the field for 17 points in only 18 minutes. The Pelicans’ first-round pick got to the rack and finished through contact at the rim. He only contributed two assists, though, with nothing else.
Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward was mentioned positively all offseason, and he didn’t disappoint in the opener, going for 14 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block in 22 minutes off the bench.
Washington Wizards at Milwaukee Bucks
Kyshawn George flashed his all-around game last season but only shot 37% from the field. He was on fire in Summer League and has now officially leveled up… at least for one game. George shot 46% and put up 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks and three treys in 33 minutes. The usage rate was 25%. Last season, it was 16.5%.
Khris Middleton showed that he still has it, contributing 23 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes as a starter.
Washington played 15 players on Wednesday! Only nine received over 10 minutes, though. Cam Whitmore only played 19 minutes while rookie Tre Johnson received 26 minutes, producing 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and four treys. He’s already a professional getter of buckets. I can’t wait to see what it looks like once he becomes established in the league.
Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter looked great … while he was playing, because he sprained his ankle badly after only nine minutes of action. I am so sad because I have many, many shares. That is life, though. At least it happened early in the season and, hopefully, it’s not too serious. Ryan Rollins replaced Porter and finished with 29 minutes, 9 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one trey.
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
Dallas also started with their jumbo lineup: Cooper Flagg (6-foot-9), Klay Thompson (6-foot-5), P.J. Washington (6-foot-7), Anthony Davis (6-foot-10) and Dereck Lively (7-foot-1). Flagg struggled, shooting 4-of-13 from the field, but the handle wasn’t that tight. Stephon Castle was giving him fits all night. As great as Flagg is and will be, he’s still a rookie, so these games will happen.
Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns
Nique Clifford got the start for the injured Keegan Murray, while Drew Eubanks filled in for Domantas Sabonis. Clifford played 24 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with 2 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. He’s 23 years old, so he’s one of the older rookies and has been touted as being NBA-ready all offseason.
Oso Ighodaro started at center for Phoenix but only played 19 minutes. Mark Williams saw 24 minutes off the bench and contributed 6 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Portland Trail Blazers
Donovan Clingan played 30 minutes and finished with 8 points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block. I had doubts he would play 30 mpg, but it’s huge if he does, and I will have to adjust accordingly.
Jrue Holiday had a 24.8% usage rate. In Boston, that number was around 16%. Holiday finished Wednesday with 14 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one trey. Holiday may end up as a boring yet great fantasy pick.
